xt7vhh6c3581 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7vhh6c3581/data/mets.xml O'Daniel, V. F. (Victor Francis), b. 1868. 1923  books b92-51-26952668 English The Dominicana, : Washington, D.C. : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. O'Brien, Matthew Anthony, 1804-1871. Priests United States Biography. Catholic Church United States Biography. American apostle  : the Very Reverend Matthew Anthony O'Brien, o.p., model priest and religious, promoter of Catholic education, tireless and fruitful harvester of souls in the United States and Canada / by Very Rev. Victor F. O'Daniel. text American apostle  : the Very Reverend Matthew Anthony O'Brien, o.p., model priest and religious, promoter of Catholic education, tireless and fruitful harvester of souls in the United States and Canada / by Very Rev. Victor F. O'Daniel. 1923 2002 true xt7vhh6c3581 section xt7vhh6c3581 















AN AMERICAN APOSTLE

 












Nitl abotat:
FR. HUGO J. MCMANUS, O.P.
FR. ALFREDUS B. SAYLOR, O.P., S.T. LR.

Jmprimatur:
FR. RAYMLTNDUS MEAGHER, O.P., S.T.Lu., LL.D.
                        Prior Provincialis.

Nttl abstat:
RMUS CORNELIUS F. THOMAS, PROT., Apos.,
                    S.T.L., J.C.D., LL.D.

Jmprimatur:
  MIcHART J. CURLEY, D.D.
         Archiepiscopus Baltimorensis,
         Baltimorae, die Januarii 29, 1923.


 





























































VERY REV. MATTHEW A. O'BRIEN, 0. P.



1, , i
 t
i , t



I

 This page in the original text is blank.

 




AN AMERICAN APOSTLE




         THE VERY REVEREND

MATITHEW ANTHONY O'BRIEN, O.P.

  MODEL PRIEST AND RELIGIOUS, PROMOTER
    OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION, TIRELESS
      AND FRUITFUL HARVESTER OF
         SOULS IN THE UNITED
           STATES AND CANADA







                  BY
VERY REV. VICTOR F. O'DANIEL, O.P., S.T.M



AUTHOR OF "VERY REV. CHARLES H. McKENNA"
   "RIGHT REV. EDWARD D. FENWICK"
   "THE DOMINICAN LAY BROTHERS," ETC.









       THE DOMINICANA
       487 Michigan Avenue, N. E.
       WASHINGTON, D. C.

 
























    Copyright, 1928
By V. F. O'DANIEL, 0. P.

 





















             TO

   THE PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS

OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

            WHO

  WILL FIND MUCH TO ADMIRE

  IN THE LIFE OF FATHER O'BRIEN

          AND MUCH

      THAT WILL INSPIRE

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                    CONTENTS

CHAPTER
       FOREWORD ..................................
    I. THE O'BRIENS AND THE MEAGHERS ..............
    II. BIRTHPLACE AND BOYHOOD.     ....................
  III. EARLY EXPERIENCES IN THE UNITED STATES......
  IV. PROFESSOR, STUDENT, RECEPTION OF THE HABIT ...
  V. IN THE NOVITIATE.
  VI. PROFESSION, STUDIES AND ORDINATION.



  VII. FIRST YEARS IN THE PRIESTHOOD. ..
  VIII. IN OHIO .......................
  IX. PASTOR OF SAINT PATRICK'S .
    X. JOURNEY ABROAD, PROVINCIAL.
    XI. PRIOR AND PASTOR AT SAINT ROSE'S.
  XII. VARIOUS OCCUPATIONS.
  XIII. IN LONDON, CANADA.
  XIV. A MULTIPLICITY OF LABORS.
  XV. A RESUME ........     .   .   .
  XVI. LAST YEARS OF LABOR.
XVII. DEATH AND BURIAL.
XVIII. A CHARACTER STUDY.............
        BIBLIOGRAPHY  ..................
        INDEX .........................



PAst
xiii


   8
   19
   29
   40
   51
   62
   74
   86
 117
 154
 185
 209
 286
 268
 286
 304
 318
 329
 888



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                ILLUSTRATIONS
                                                   PAGS
VERY REV. MATTHEW A. O'BRIEN .................. Frontispiee
SAINT ROSE'S CHURCH AND PRIORY, NEAR SPRINGFIELD,
   KENTUCKY, IN 1835 ................................  as
SAINT PATRICK'S CHURCH, JUNCTION CITY, OHIO ........... 105
INTERIOR OF SAINT PATRICK'S CHURCH ................... 106
SAINT JOSEPH'S COLLEGE AND CONVENT BUILT BY FATHER
   O'BRIEN .  ..................................  129
SAINT DOMINIC'S CHURCH, MCCLUNY, OHIO ............... 138
SAINT PIUS' CHURCH ON SOUTH FORK CREEK, OHIO ........  a33
THE FIRST SAINT DOMINIC's CHURCH, WASHINGTON, D. C... 143
FATHER O'BRIEN WHEN PROVINCIAL ..................... 143
SAINT ROSE'S CHURCH, IN KENTUCKY, BUILT RY FATHER
   O'BRIEN .    ....................................... 196
INTERIOR OF SAINT ROSE'S CHURCH ...................... 195
FATHER O'BRIEN As HE APPEARED IN CANADA ............. 233
FATHER O'BRIEN IN His LAST YEARS ..................... 316
WHERE FATHER O'BRIEN IS BURIED ...................... 315

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FOREWORD



  YEARS ago, during a visit at the Dominican priory,
Cork, Ireland, the writer noticed the words "Colligite
quae superaverunt fragmenta, ne pereant" (Gather up
the fragments that remain, lest they be lost) posted on
the door of a closet at one end of the recreation room.
An inquiry brought forth the information that the ven-
erable Father Bartholomew Russell had converted the
recess into an archive, and fastened the wise counsel to
its entrance. We were struck and amused by this use of
the Scriptural text, for it was the first time that we had
ever seen it given such an application.
  A little more than two years since, the Rev. Ralph H.
Dignan, who was then gathering material for the history
of the Diocese of London, Ontario, wrote to ask for data
on the Dominican Fathers once engaged in that episco-
pal city. Eleven months later, while preparing a sketch
of Father O'Brien, the first superior of the erstwhile
Canadian community, Father Russell's prudent advice
not only came back to mind, but even took possession of
it. It seemed almost criminal to let the memory of so
holy a priest and so zealous a worker in the Lord's vine-
yard be buried in oblivion; or to suffer posterity to go
without a knowledge of a life from which it could hardly
fail to derive much edification and inspiration.
  Thus the sketch of the American apostle for Father
Dignan was followed by a lengthy article on him. But
                         Xiii

 


FOREWORD



this did not satisfy. In fact, it only strengthened the
appeal of "Colligite fragmenta, ne pereant." No doubt
the force of the call was made the greater by a knowledge
that many had often expressed a wish that Father
O'Brien's biography should be written. At any rate, it
was under these circumstances that we conceived the idea
and formed the resolution of undertaking the book which
is now placed before the public.
  Whilst documents relating to the former missionary
were so scarce as to render the task well-nigh impossible,
had one to depend solely on these, not a few notes had
been taken from talks with old people about him and his
work. Indeed, we had heard him spoken of time and
time again from earliest childhood, and in this way had
become saturated, if we may be allowed the expression,
with the rich traditionary lore that clusters around his
venerated name. Thirty or even twenty years ago a
biographer might easily have collected enough of this to
fill a portly volume.
  From the sources at hand the apostolic man's life-
story was first thrown into tentative shape. Then many
months were devoted to travel and search through the
principal centers of his labors in Kentucky, Ohio and
Canada. Church and conventual records yielded a
measure of helpful data. A few letters were discovered
here and there. Old acquaintances of the noted mis-
sionary, a surprising number of whom still lived, re-
vealed new facts, as well as served to refreshen the mem-
ory on others that had been known before. Some were
kind enough to put their recollections in writing. All
in all, the effort to gather material for the proposed book
was rewarded even beyond expectation.
  The data thus obtained was now carefully collated.



Xiv

 


FOREWORD



All conflicting statements were set aside as unreliable.
Nor did we adjudge any account competent for use,
unless confirmed by more than one testimony, or sus-
tained by other proof that brought conviction. The out-
lines of the story were then recast, and filled in with the
additional facts collected on our journeys.
  Judgment on the merits of the work must, of course,
be left to the reader. Yet we venture to believe that
many will not only be pleased with its tale, but will also
derive benefit from its pages. It ought, in the writer's
candid opinion, prove especially acceptable to the clergy,
to religious communities, whether of men or women, and
to pious-minded persons in the world. However, we
trust, the general reader and the historian will likewise
be liberally compensated for a perusal of its contents.
If the volume but perpetuate the memory of a saintly
priest who served God with his whole heart and soul,
deserved well of our American Church, and toiled with
all his might for the salvation of his fellowman, the time
and labor given to it will not have been spent in vain.
  Grateful acknowledgement is extended to all those
who, by advice or otherwise, contributed towards the
successful issue of the work. The Revs. Dennis J.
Dunne of Junction City, Ohio, and James S. Wilburn,
O.P., of Saint Rose's Priory, near Springfield, Ken-
tucky, have placed us under a debt of gratitude for their
time and assistance in visiting the old people of their
respective rural neighborhoods.
  Thanks are also due, for their kindly interest, to the
ecclesiastical censors whose names appear on the "im-
primatur" page. Nor should we overlook another con-
frere, Rev. Peter T. McAllister. The painstaking care
of all these friends in reading the manuscript is treasured



XV

 




Xvi                 FOREWORD

beyond expression. Only those who have had experience
in matters of this character can fully realize how much
such favors mean. Father McAllister, besides the time
he was a novice and student in Kentucky, spent several
years as a priest in Ohio. In both states he lived among
people who knew the subject of our narrative well.
Father McManus, one of the censors, has the honor of
being the senior member of Saint Joseph's Province of
Dominicans, and is thoroughly conversant with its tradi-
tions.
                          V. F. O'DANIEL, O.P.
   THE DOMINICAN HOUSE OF STUDIES,
      CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA,
         FEAST OF SAINT THOMAS OF AQUIN,
            WASHINGTON, D. C., MARCH 7, 1923.


 









         An American Apostle


                  CHAPTER I

          THE O'BRIENS AND THE MEAGHERS

  Ireland, as every reader knows, is divided into four
provinces. Ulster includes the northeastern part of the
island, and Leinster is in the southeastern corner. Sim-
ilarly, Connaught embraces the northwest, while noble
Munster, the largest of the provinces, lies to the south-
west.
  For centuries the country was governed by a number
of petty rulers who bore the title of righ, or king. The
chief seats of government for the provinces were long
Emania, near Armagh, for Ulster; Leighlin for Lein-
ster; Cruchain (now Ratherogan, in Roscommon) for
Connaught; and Cashel for Munster. Besides the four
more powerful and noteworthy sovereigns, there were
other princes and chiefs of lower rank who held sway in
various parts of the island over sub-kingdoms. These
lesser potentates were dependent on their over-lords.'
  So again, there was an ard-righ, or high-king. This
dignity and the power that accompanied it were reserved
for the monarchs of the four provinces. But they were
' The facts given in this chapter, the reader needs hardly be told,
are gleaned from the most authoritative histories of Ireland available.



1

 


AN AMERICAN APOSTLE



vested in the one who could obtain the suffrages of two
provinces besides his own. The high-king called and
presided over national assemblages. To him the other
chieftains of the island paid tribute. He was crowned
at Tara, in Meath which then stretched from the Liffey
on the south to Armagh on the north. Thus Tara was
the chief seat of government for federal purposes. At
imperial Tara convened all solemn congresses which
treated of affairs that concerned the nation at large.
Meath was the mensal demesne, or "board of the king's
table." It was exempt from all taxation, except that of
the ard-righ, or supreme monarch.
  Althiough, in case of death or deposition, an Irish
king or prince ordinarily found an heir to the throne
in an eldest son or nephew, such near kindred could not
always lay any strict claim to the right of succession.
In fact, the right of succession was often regulated
rather by custom than by any definite law. While a
successor to a ruler was universally taken from his
family, the choice of the clansmen, who had an elective
vote, not unfrequently fell on a brother, cousin or other
relation of the deceased chieftain.
  A deformed prince was debarred from the throne by
law. At times the nomination of a successor which had
been obtained by an Irish king, to suit himself, was later
set aside by the public voice of an elective convention.
In some tribes, as in Munster for instance, the succes-
sion was supposed to alternate between a double line of
princes.
  It was in accordance with this latter custom, and
aided by his own bravery, personal ability and ambition,
that :he great Brian Boru finally rose to the height of

 


THE O'BRIENS AND THE MEAGHERS



his power. Olild, from whom sprang most of the lead-
ing families in the south of Ireland, left a provision
in his will arranging such an alternate succession to the
throne of Cashel, in Munster. The house of Kinkora,
to which Brian belonged, however, had long been ex-
cluded from the higher royal dignity, and obliged to
content itself with the principality, or sub-kingdom, of
Thomond.
  Lactna of this line eventually made good his claim to
Cashel's throne. Lorcan, his son, possibly owing to the
will of Olild, was passed over in the next reign. Ken-
nedy, Lorcan's son and heir, also asserted his right to
that throne on the death of his grandfather's successor;
but, at the convention gathered to choose a king for
Munster, he relinquished his pretensions in favor of
another claimant by the name of Kellachan.
  Kennedy died in the year of our Lord 950, leaving
two sons who were soon to write their names indelibly
on the pages of Irish history. These were Mahon and
Brian, inveterate foes of the Danish invaders. In bat-
tle after battle they defeated the unwelcome foreigner.
Mahon obtained the throne of Cashel in 960. Brian,
his younger brother, now succeeded him on that of
Thomond. In 976 Mahon was assassinated. Two years
later, having triumphed over his enemies, Brian became
the undisputed ruler of Munster. Nor did he stop at
this. He was the greatest statesman, possibly also the
ablest general, in the country. In 1002, he compelled
Malachy II, then high-king, to abdicate in his favor, and
was crowned supreme monarch of Ireland at Tara.
  Although some historians tell us that, by his seizure
of the supreme authority, he prepared the way for the



3

 


AN AMERICAN APOSTLE



later dissensions which divided Ireland into many fac-
tions, and for the country's final downfall, Brian is
acknowledged to have been the greatest-perhaps the
best-of the Irish high-kings.
  He made many wise and salutary laws for the nation.
His household was conducted in the most royal manner.
Two of his dominant traits were munificence and hos-
pitality. Religion received many signal benefits from
Brian's reign. All churches, chapels, monasteries and
convents that had been destroyed by the Danes were
not merely rebuilt, but greatly aided in other ways by
the generous-hearted monarch.   Properties that had
been confiscated bv the Danish invaders were restored
to their rightful owners. He has come down in history
by the name of Brian Boru, or "Brian of the tributes."
  Brian Boru ruled over Ireland as high-king for twelve
years, crowning his sovereignty with the supreme sac-
rifice of his life. In 1014, he waged the historic battle
of Clontarf, near Dublin, against the combined
strength of Leinster and its Danish allies, who had
brought forces from Denmark and other northern coun-
tries for the purpose of overcoming the powerful mon-
arch. The contest, which was fought with the utmost
bravery and ferocity on both sides, was long in doubt.
But in the end Brian gained an overwhelming victory.
  At Clontarf the power of the Danes in Ireland was
crushed, the country thenceforth freed from their in-
vasions. The triumph, however, was dearly bought.
A party of foreigners, in flight for their ships, espied
the venerable monarch, now a man of perhaps four score
years, in his tent. 2 He was on his knees before a cru-
2 Historians are not of accord as to the age of Brian Boru. Some make
him less than eighty years of age at the time of his death; others tell us
that he was much older.

 


THE O'BRIENS AND THE MEAGHERS



cifix, and without a guard. Rushing upon the brave
chieftain, they slew him whilst engaged in a prayer of
thanksgiving to the God of victory. Morrogh and Tur-
logh O'Brien, respectively the eldest son and the grand-
son of the dead monarch, fell on the same field of battle.
  It was during the great Brian Boru's reign that sur-
names were introduced in Ireland. One of the wise
laws which he had enacted bv a national assembly held
at Tara required that in future the members of the lead-
ing families should assume cognomens. This was to
avoid the confusion that arose from innumerable per-
sons bearing the same baptismal name, with no dis-
tinguishing attribute.
  The taking of such appellations, however, was not to
be done in a haphazard manner. Each chieftain should
be called after some ancestor, whose virtues should re-
mind him of his duty and origin. It was thus that the
prefixes "O" and "Me," meaning son or descendant of,
came to be added to the first or Christian names of the
Irish, and eventually developed into patronymics. The
descendants of the great ard-righ became O'Briens.
  Denis O'Brien succeeded the supreme monarch on the
throne of Cashel; but the lordly Malachy was again
chosen high-king. Although some' of the O'Briens later
aspired to this greater dignity, none of them ever at-
tained the undisputed mastership of Ireland. However,
descendants of "Brian of the tributes" continued for cen-
turies to be kings of Munster, Thomond and Limerick,
while still others were princes or chiefs in various locali-
ties in the southwestern province of Erin. Few names
appear oftener or play a more conspicuous part in the
annals of the countrv than that of O'Brien.

 


AN AMERICAN APOSTLE



   They were nearly all not only true to their religion,
 but also loyal defenders and generous benefactors of
 the Church. They built and endowed temples of prayer,
 erected and provided for the maintenance of monas-
 teries and convents as places of refuge for God's elect.
 Like their great ancestor, they were munificent in their
 charity. They have worn the miter with not less credit
 than they have worn the crown. They bore all manner
 of suffering and persecution for the sake of their faith
 and their country. Some of them sealed their holy lives
 with the martyrs' blood.
   Few Irish families-and this is to say much-have
been so fruitful as the O'Briens in vocations to the
priesthood and the religious life both at home and
abroad. There are today over one hundred priests of
that name in the United States. ' They have fought
with bravery alike on the soil of Ireland and in the lands
of their exile.
  In a word, the O'Briens are a kingly, martial and
priestly race that has played a conspicuous part in the
affairs of both Church and State, not only in the island
of their origin, but likewise in the countries in which
the Irish, through transportation or migration, have
found an asylum and liberty.
  The NMeaghers, whilst neither so numerous nor so
conspicuous as the O'Briens, were also a noble Irish
family of Munster. ' They belonged principally to the
present barony of Ikerin, in the northeastern part of
County Tipperary. Roscrea, "The City of the Sword,"
'The Catholic Directory.
'The original name was O'Meacbair; but it has been Anglicized into
(YMeagher, Meagher and Maher.



6

 


TIHE O'BRIENS AND THlE MEAGHERS  7



was their chief stronghold. They, too, were a brave
type, and played an important part in the history of
their country.
  Not less religious than patriotic, the Meaghers took a
keen interest in the affairs of the Church as well as in
those of the State. They have given many vocations
to the priesthood and to the religious life not onlv in
Ireland, but also in the countries of their adoption or
exile. In the land of their origin they suffered heavy
confiscations and underwent many trials and privations
because of their faith and patriotism. Both there and
abroad thev have been among the bravest of the brave.
  From these Irish families was descended the subject
of our narrative, Father Matthew A. O'Brien, whose
mother was a Meagher. His humility was such that he
rarely, if ever, referred to his ancestry. His father he
was seldom heard to mention. His mother's virtues,
however, so it is said, were a subject on which he loved
to dwell. These he himself inherited. And although
he was born in what we would now consider poverty,
and brought up along lines upon which we would look
as hard, the future priest, in spite of his efforts to hide
them, possessed many of the noble traits of his pro-
genitors.
  He was a worthy son of an illustrious race. His
life is full of inspiration. It causes one to exclaim
almost involuntarilv: "Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 5
' Matthew, V, 8.



7


 








CHAPTER II



               BIRTHPLACE AND) BOYHOOD

   The tale of Ireland's conversion, her brave clans and
her warlike chieftains possess an interest that is sur-
passed by the history of no other nation. Her fidelity
to the religion of Saint Patrick and her heroism under
trial and persecution for faith's sake have few, if any,
parallels. The verdure of her forests and fields is all her
own, whilst the beauty of her romantic mountain scenery
rivals that of any part of the world. '
  In no portion of the island does the reader or trav-
eller meet with a greater charm of story or of nature
than is found in County Tipperary, which lies in eastern
Munster, and extends from Waterford, on the south,
to Galway, in Connaught, at the north. The entire
county presents a continuous succession of mountains,
hills, valleys and rivers. It is dotted throughout its
length and breadth with prosperous towns and quaint
villages.
  The rugged scenery is superb, the low lands fertile;
while the rushing waters of the rivers combine with the
blue sky to give the verdant vesture that cheerful fresh-
ness which is peculiar to an Irish landscape, and seems to
' The traveller in Ireland cannot fail to note the bright green and fresh-
ness that meet the eye on every side. To this, no doubt, is due the color
of the Irish flag. The beauty of the country's mountain scenery is a
matter of common knowledge.
                          8

 



BIRTHPLACE AND BOYHOOD



greet the stranger with a hearty welcome. The people
are honest and courteous, hospitable and industrious,
their language either Gaelic or a soft English not unlike
that so characteristic of the City of Dublin. 'What is
more, they are deeply religious. No part of the country
is more Catholic than is Tipperary. Nor has any county
of Ireland suffered more for its religion or its patriotism.
All this, no doubt, is the reason why some of the most
touching Irish poetry and fiction has been written on
Tipperary, its warriors, peasantry and scenery.
  In Ireland north is always "down," and south is
always "up." This explains why the barony of Ormond,
which lies in the extreme north of Tipperary, is called
"Lower Ormond," while that which borders on the south
of this domain bears the title of "Upper Ormond."
These baronies were created in late years, and their
names were misapplied, for all Lower Ormond, together
with a good part of Upper Ormond, belonged to the
house of Thomond, over which the O'Briens long
reigned as rulers. Ormond was a different sub-kingdom
which lay farther to the east and south. The romantic
remains of Ormond Castle may still be seen at Carrick-
on-Suir, in the extreme southeastern corner of County
Tipperary. 2
  On the southern border of Lower Ormond is the town
of Nenagh. It is situated on a river of the same name,
a gentle stream that draws its head waters partly from
the Devil's Bit, and partly from the slopes of the Kim-
alta Mountains, and then courses its way northwesterly.
by the city, until it falls into Lough Derg, about eight
'Atlas and Cyclopedia of Ireland (Tipperary: Ancient Divisions and
Designations); the Roaary Magazine, January, 1912.



9

 


AN AMERICAN APOSTLE



miles distant. Nenagh is one of the most prosperous
towns in Tipperary.
   The soil of the neighborhood is extremely fertile, the
location of the city beautiful and picturesque. Mountain
scenery meets the eye on every side. Some ten miles to
the southwest, in the present Barony of Owney and Ara,
also formerly belonging to the O'Briens, rises a peak
named Kirnalta, but known by the people as Keeper
Hill. It is a splendid dome nearly three thousand feet
in height, and stands like a sentinel overlooking the
country far and wide. Near the northern boundary of
Upper Ormond, perhaps three miles from Nenagh in
the direction of Keeper Hill, is situated the quaint little
village of B1awn, to which the reader must now be in-
troduced.
  All this country was once the fair domain of the house
of Thoimond. Through skillful diplomacy, coupled with
their bravery and power, many of the O'Briens seem to
have managed long to maintain a part of their proper-
ties, even in the penal days when the Catholics of Ireland
were sorely tried, and their estates ruthlessly confiscated.
Among these appear to have been the O'Briens of Ara,
a district between Lough Derg and Keeper Hill. This
house holds an important place in the annals of Munster.
Under its standard of the Triple Lion were fought
many battles; around its name clusters much romantic
history. It is from it that the subject of our biography
was descended. 8
  O'Brien of Ara was not only a prominent man in his
day, but likewise a chieftain with numerous clansmen,
kinsmen and retainers. In the first stanza of his well-
' The Nenagh News, February 1, 1918 (Article: Father O'Brien of
Bawn, Nennagh).



10)

 



BIRTHPLACE AND BOYHOOD



known poem entitled "O'Brien of Ara," Thomas Davis
writes:
            Tall are the towers of O'Ceinneidigh-
              Broad are the lands of MacCarrthaigh-
            Desmond feeds five hundred men a day;
              Yet, here's to O'Brien of Ara!
                  Up from the Castle of Druim-aniar,
                    Down from the top of Camailte,
                  Clansman and kinsman are coming here
                    To give him the CEAD MILE FAILTE.

  But, as with the rest of the Irish gentry who remained
faithful to the religion brought them by Saint Patrick,
the crushing hand of tyranny eventually fell upon the
O'Briens of Ara, and robbed them of their possessions.
Perhaps it is of the last of the line to hold sway there
that Michael O'Meara speaks, when he tells us, in the
Nenagh News, that one of the grandsons of O'Brien of
Ara was named James. 4
  Be this as it may, the same authority informs us that
to this James O'Brien were born three sons, Denis,
Daniel and John. Denis went to live at Hogan's Pass;
Daniel settled in Kilmore; whilst John took up his resi-
dence in the village of Bawn, where he erected a dis-
tillery. He married a Miss Grace Meagher of a nearby
town called Toomyvara. From this union, it appears,
issued thirteen children, three of whom died in their
youth. Of the sons who attained manhood the youngest
' Ibid. The writer of this letter signs himself: "M. O'Meara." But
we know that he was Michael O'Meara, a native of Nenagh, and long
a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. Just as the last of our manuscript was
being made ready for the press word was received that he had gone to
spend the remainder of his life with his son in Kansas City, Missouri He
was a friend of Father O'Brien in this country, and knew his relations
In Ireland.



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AN AMERICAN APOSTLE



was Matthew, the future Dominican missionary in
America, whose life and labors are sketched in these
pages. 6
   Matthew O'Brien first saw the light of day at Bawn,
in May, 1804. ' The month of his birth is the most
(harming season     in Irelan(l.   It is then that the wavy
meadows and grain are in bloom, the heath and flowers
in first blossom, and the hawthorn whiter than snow,
great hedges of which skirt the fields and the roadside
far as eye can see.
   Hill, valley and mountain present landscape after
lan(lsca)e of gayest green, through which peep blossom
and bloom of every hue. The finch, the thrush, the lark
fill the air with music not less sweet than the aroma
wafted   from   the wild   rose that grows luxuriantly        in
every direction. All nature is aglow with life; it seems
it, joy. The May of 1804, in northern Tipperary,

  5Mr. O'Meara (see the two preceding notes), from whom the facts
given in this paragraph are taken, tells us that there were ten children.
Tradition, however, has it that Father O'Brien used often to tell of the
large family to which he belonged; and that he was wont playfully to
remark that the children were the unlucky number of thirteen. The same
number is given in an obituary notice of the saintly priest in the Catholic
Advocate, Louisville, Kentucky, February 4, 1871. From this we conclude
that three must have died in infancy or early youth.
'T'he Freeinqn'x Journal of February 4, 1871, which seems for the most
part accurate in the sketch of the Dominican's life, gives May, 1802 as the
date of his birth. But his own statement at the time of his religious
profession, September 8, 1837, that he was then thirty-three years of age
shows this to he an error-probably typographical. The Catholic Advocate
of February 4, 1871, tells us that he was born "during the turbulent times
of 1798;" while a notice of his death (January 15, 1871) in the Profession
Book of Saint Rose's, in Kentucky, says he died in the seventy-second
year of his age. These assertions would make him born in 1799 at the
latest. However, it seems to us, in view of his own very explicit declara-
tion of his age in 1887, they cannot be accepted. So again, the family
Bible of Denis O'Brien in possession of his son Timothy, Columbus, Ohio,
gives March 22, 1798, as the date of his birth; and we were told that there
were several children between Denis and Matthew.



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8fRTIIPLA('CE AND BOYHOOD



was as if prophetic of the pure and beautiful life that
was to be lived by the youngest son of John O'Brien
who was then born by the waters of the Nenagh.
  Of the future priest's early life but little is known.
We are told, however, that from his childhood he was
much given to piety, and showed a retiring disposition.
This we can readily believe, if his life as a man and as
a minister of God may be considered an outgrowth of
that of his youth. Doubtless his character was largely
an inheritance from his pious mother, for whom he ever
entertained the profoundest affection.
  John O'Brien's business was perhaps one of the most
lucrative to which the Catholics in Ireland could aspire
in his day and generation. It was one of the few occu-
pations which protected one of his faith from the pangs
of hunger. But, with the widespread poverty which
then prevailed in the country, comfortably to support
so large a family must have demanded rigid economy.
Yet, there is every reason to believe, John O'Brien gave
his children a good rudimentary education-the best that
could be procured under the hapless circumstances.
  In consequence of England's misgovernment. the
blight of illiteracy still bore heavily on Ireland at the
time of Father O'Brien's birth. Even among those
descended from the chieftains and the best Catholic
families of Erin, which had once been a nation of scholars
as well as an island of saints, there were many who
could neither read nor write. The country was just
emerging from the effects of a long period of oppression
and intellectual darkness. It still suffered from the
turbulent days of 1798, still groaned under the weight
of iniquitous laws.



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AN AMERICAN APOSTLE



   During the poverty and